Corn-sheller.



No. 636,626. Patented-oct. 3l, |699.

' J. DoNovAN.

come sHELLEn.

(Application led Dec. 14, 1898.)

(No Modei.)

xImm Hu" llll: lllllu Imm UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES DONOVAN, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN.

CORN-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,026, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed December 14, 1898. Serial No. 699,245. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.- 4

Be it known that I, J AMEs DONOVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Three Rivers, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oorn-Shellers, of Which the following is a speciiication,reference bei n g had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to corn-shellers; and the object of my invention is to provide means whereby the operator may at will vary the shelling action of the machine according to the condition of the corn that is to be shelled.

To obtain the object as set forth, I so form the shelling-casing that the discharge of the cobs therefrom may be varied as desired and close shelling-contact ,being formed by restricting the discharge-opening of the casing and the contact being varied by the gradual,

removal of the restriction, to be hereinafter described.

My invention consists, therefore, in the novel construction of a shelling-casing and its cylinder and in the peculiar arrangement 'and combination of the various parts thereof, as

will be more fully hereinafter described, and' shown in the drawings.

Figure lis avertical central section through the casing and cylinder. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the parts, illustrating mechanism for contracting the end of the shelling-casing. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line man, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached view ot' the grate-bar-actuating levers in operative relation to the grate-bars.

Referring to Fig. 3, the reference-letter A designates the ordinary casing of the machine, in which the shelling-Casin g B and its cylinder O are located.

D represents the usual feed hopper, arranged upon the shelling-casing and communicating therewith, as shown in Fig. l.

The shelling-casing I preferably employ comprises, essentially, the head E and a ring F,which are connected to each other by means of plates G. In the lower portion vof the head and extending through the ring F, as plainly shown in Fig. l, are a series of grate-bars H. These bars are xedly secured in the head and extend some considerable distance beyond the ring, as shown, whereby a shellinggrate is produced having a perfectly rigid portion or section and a iiexible or contractible portion or end. The grate-bars mentioned form the concave for the cylinder.

I designates a backbone which is iixedly secured to the ring and to the casing A, which carries at one end the journal-box J. A bearing K is formed in the head, and in said journal-box and bearing is rotatably mounted the usual toothed cylinder O.

The shelling-casing receives its supply of ears of corn from the hopper, and I preferably construct the casing in such manner that the discharge end of the same may be contracted, so that the discharge of the cobs from the casing may be diminished or increased, as may be desired by the operator, whereby the shelling-contact is varied according to the condition of the corn to be shelled. To attain this result, I provide means in the form of levers to operate the ends of the gratebars, Which extend beyond the ring, as before described.

More particularly the construction is as follows: The bars beyond the ring are provided with acovering O, said cover being formed of plates similar to the plates G, and a second ring Q is arranged forwardly of the ring F over the plates O and fixedly secured to the backbone, as plainly shown in Fig. 3. This latter ring is provided with slots R, Fig. 4, in which the bars rest loosely, and pivotally secured to the rod R2, Which extends through the head and the rings at the lowest points thereof, beneath the bars, are arranged the bar-actuating levers S and T. These levers are arranged in such manner as to operate only half of the bars independently of the other half, as plainly shown in Fig. 3, and likewise to move said bars radially and successively, whereby a ine adjustment may be obtained by very simple means. The levers are curved, as shown, to conform to the shelling-grate when contracted and are actuated by means of rods T, which extend upward through the machine-casing and provided at their ends with suitable handles.

V represents collars or other similar devices secured to the rods above the casing and are adapted to hold said rods in the desired adj usted position.

It will readily be observed from the description of my invention as thus set forth that when it is desired to obtain a close shellingcontact the operator is merely required to draw upward the rods T until the desired shelling-contact is formed. The rods are then held in their proper position and the required restriction maintained in the discharge-opening by means of the adjusting-collars V. It will likewise be observed that by forming only a portion of the grating iiexible--viz., the free end thereof-a greater amount of corn may be retained Within the grating when contracted than if the entire grating were required to be tapered to obtain the desired restriction of the discharge end.

While I have shown and described a particular method of restricting the dischargeopening, I do not desire to be limited to this construction alone, as it is obvious that other devices may be employed to obtain the same result Without departing from the spirit of my invention, which consists, essentially, in the formation of a shelling-casing the discharge end of which may be varied in size by the operator at will to regulate the discharge of the cobs therefrom.

lVhat I claim as my invention isl. In a corn-Sheller, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, of an open-end shelling-grate therefor, comprising a head, a series of grate-bars in the form of rods secured in said head, and a stationary supportingring for the free ends of said rods, and manually-operated means for successively raising the ends of the bars partially out of e11- gagement with the supporting-ring to contract the discharge end of the grate.

2. In a eorn-sheller, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, of an open-end shelling-grate therefor, comprising a head, a support, and a series of rods secured in said head and support forming a rigid section, and extending beyond the support to constitute a flexible' or contractible section, and means for moving the flexible rod ends radially to contract the discharge end of the easing.

3. In a corn-Sheller, the eombinatian with a rotatable cylinder, of an open-end shelling-grate therefor, comprising a head, a series of rods fixedly secured to said head and a stationary supporting-ring for the free ends of the rods, said ring being provided with a plurality of slots in which the rods loosely rest, and manually-operated means for moving radially and successively the series of rods partly out of engagement with the slotted support to gradually contract the discharge end of the grate.

4. In a corn-Sheller, the combination with the rotatable cylinder, of an open-end shelling-grating therefor, comprising a head, a series of rods xedly secured in said head, and v a stationary supporting-ring for the free ends of the rods, said ring being provided with a plurality of slots in which the rods loosely rest, a cam-lever pivoted in proximity to the free ends of the rods, adapted, when actuated, to bear against and successively raise partly from engagement with the supporting-ring a series of the rods, and means for operating the lever.

5. In a corn-Sheller, the combination with the rotatable cylinder, of an open-end shellin g-grating therefor, comprising a head, a series of rods iixedly secured in said head, and a stationary supporting-ring for the free ends of the rods, said ring being provided with a plurality of slots in which the rods loosely rest, two cam-levers pivoted to each other and to the central portion of the supportingring, each when actuated adapted to bear against and raise in succession a series of the rods partly out of engagement with the supporting-ring, and means for actuating the levers independently.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES D ONOVAN.

Vitnesscs:

O. F. BEAN, BERT EDWARDs. 

